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Review: The Fortune Hunter by Bonnie Dee

A man with nothing finds everything.

Abandoned at birth, WWI veteran Hal Stanton faces bleak employment prospects in post-war London. Desperation spurs him to reinvent himself to hook a wealthy wife, one he will be devoted to even if he feels no real passion. But when he meets his fiance’s cousin, Julian Needham, it’s all he can do to keep his heart in check and his eye on the prize.

From the moment he’s introduced to the charming stranger Margaret plans to marry, Julian suspects the man’s motives yet fights a relentless attraction. He’s determined to reveal Hal as a fraud but must handle the matter delicately to protect his sweet cousin’s feelings. A weekend at the family estate should allow time and opportunity for him to expose Halstead Wiley.

Even as the men match wits in a battle of attempted unmasking, powerful sexual attraction threatens to overcome them both and win the day. Can a true love connection possibly grow between these adversaries without destroying lives and loved ones?


Ever have one of those magical lazy days? Where it goes by so peacefully slow and the only requirement is pajamas? Yeah, me neither. But I can imagine they would be a lot like most of this book with its slow pacing, lazy country days, simmering attractions, and budding friendships.

I recommend reading the synopsis because it does a great job of setting the stage. As the book starts, Hal is meeting Margaret’s (his fiancĂ©) family at their country estate. Clearly, Margaret didn’t fully prepare her family and all were surprised-especially Julian, her cousin. He is taken right away with Julian’s looks but must keep his eyes on the prize. Hal was an orphan and has always craved security in a life that lacked control, funds, food, love, and shelter. He truly cares for Margaret in the way you would a dear friend. Unfortunately, Hal didn’t account for Julian.

Julian is a self righteous arse that falls in line with the high society gentleman in London. He swoops in on his high horse and stays there for the first part of the book. He sees past Hal’s gentleman appearance and distrusts him immediately. Rightfully so, but it seems he’s most angry about his attraction to someone he can’t have. Margaret decides they need to extend their stay due to family obligations and Julian is all too eager to stay as well and find the truth about Hal.

But… on those lazy country days and against Julian’s better judgement, the men form a connection. Each know they are hiding something and find it impossible to resist the strolls, talks, and discussions on books and history. Their chaste interactions become thick with desire. The desperation they felt in a simple holding of hands made my heart ache. They were so different yet the same in their wish to be understood and loved in a world where their “proclivity” wasn’t tolerated. Although Julian and Hal unknowingly gave their hearts, the dark cloud of deception wasn’t ever far from sight. Julian has to reconcile the Hal he grew to know with the actual Hal. Or are they one in the same?

Hal is painted in negative light from the beginning and yet I understood and maybe even accepted his reasons. While his intent was deception, it wasn’t malicious. He wants a family to visit at Holiday, a place to hang his hat, children, and a companion.

The beginning of this book dragged a bit for me. Not much happened beyond talks, strolls, and riding. I did enjoy the progression of Julian and Hal’s relationship and the challenges they faced to get their HEA. The pacing picked up around 45% and it wasn’t long before I became fully invested in the characters, Margaret included. The way Hal and Margaret’s engagement/relationship was handled the second half was refreshing.

The second half of this historical drew me in and I was able to overlook *most* of my feelings about the sleepy start. I fell for the characters and even embraced the deception with heart eyes for Hal. Recommended for fans of historical romance.


Audio Blog Tour + Giveaway: From Ashes (Heathens Ink #3) by K.M. Neuhold


From Ashes (Heathens Ink #3) is in audio form! Celebrate the release of the Kenneth Obi narrated audiobook with author K.M. Neuhold! Enter in the giveaway to win your own copy of From Ashes!

From Ashes Audio Banner

FROM ASHES
HEATHENS INK SERIES, BOOK 3
K.M. NEUHOLD
M/M ROMANCE
AUDIO RELEASE: 01.18.18

From Ashes Cover

NARRATOR: Kenneth Obi
COVER DESIGN: K.M. Neuhold
COVER PHOTO: StockPhoto

BLURB
“When the broken man with scarred skin walked into Heathens, asked for a job, and showed me a sketch of a phoenix, it felt like fate.”~ Adam

It started with an anonymous post by someone who didn't want to live anymore. I read it over and over again, unable to get it out of my mind. What if my brother Johnny had posted something like this before he'd taken his own life? Would someone have been able to save him?

I've been living a lie for 16 long years and I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to keep it up. And when a beautiful, broken man walks into my tattoo shop asking for a second chance at life, I know I'll never be able to turn him away.


“When I was so far down I couldn’t even see the light, a stranger reached in to save me”~ Nox
I didn't have anything to live for, until a kind stranger pulled me back from the brink. With physical and emotional scars I have nowhere to turn now but to that same stranger who saved my life without realizing it. But as my feelings for Adam grow, will I ever be anything other than a surrogate for the brother he couldn’t save? Am I even worthy of his love?

**From Ashes is the third book in the Heathens Ink series, each book in the series CAN be read as a standalone.

CAUTION: this book contains graphic descriptions of domestic violence and drug use that may be disturbing to some readers.

From Ashes Teaser 1
From Ashes Teaser 2

EXCERPT
The afternoon flies by as quickly as the morning had with a combination of appointments and walk-ins filling up my schedule all the way until closing time.



While Nox and I clean up my workspace Gage pops his head in.



“Hey, I’m going to be heading over to Rainbow House tonight, won’t be home ‘til late.”



“Okay, tell everyone I say hi and that I’ll do my best to stop by soon.”



“Is Rainbow House a bar or something?” Nox asks once Gage is gone.



“No, it’s a halfway house for LGBTQ teens who don’t have anywhere to go.”



Nox’s lips part on a quiet gasp and his eyes glaze over slightly.



“That’s so amazing. You volunteer to help homeless LGBTQ teens?”



“It’s no big deal,” I shrug off the awe in his voice. I love working with the kids down at R.H., but it’s not enough. Nothing will ever be enough.



“It is a big deal. You are like a real-life superhero,” Nox insists.



I feel myself blush and wave off his praise.



“I’m no superhero,” I argue. “I’m just doing what I can so no one has to feel as helpless and alone as Johnny did.”



“I’m going to have to think of a superhero name for you,” Nox carries on as though he didn’t hear my protest. “Hmm, let’s see...what about lumberjack man?”



“What? That’s terrible, what would my superpower even be?”



“The ability to chop wood super-fast.”



“I feel like there’s a sexual innuendo in there somewhere.”



Nox barks out a laugh.



“I’d love to go help out at Rainbow House sometime,”Nox says casually, but his expression is anything but. I can tell it would mean a lot to him to help some kids who are in a position he’s familiar with.



“Do you mind my asking how you ended up on the streets? Were your parent’s dicks about the gay thing or what?”



“It’s kind of embarrassing.”



“You don’t have to tell me if you’re uncomfortable. I was being nosey, forget I even asked,” I backpedal, realizing what a dick question that was.



KM Neuhold Graphic
I'm an author of m/m and new adult romance. I have a strong passion for writing characters with a lot of heart and soul, and a bit of humor as well.
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GIVEAWAY

Review: Tufted & Tatted (Peckers #4) by Jacques N. Hoff

Freed from the Australian zoo where he was the subject of forced breeding experiments, Atticus makes his way to the tufted puffin grounds in California, only to find he may not be free after all. Atty is a loner, but he doesn’t want to fight the pull of a flighty surfer who gives his inked skin a pleasant, uncontrollable itch. 

Scott has the sun on his face, the waves beneath him, and gratitude for every second of life he gets to embrace. Then Atty appears, and it’s like the universe has tuned his meditation bell to the perfect frequency.

The Tiki Pro surfing competition in Florida is calling to Scott, and Atty agrees to make sure Scott gets there safely. A cross-country road trip in the Hunny Wagon seems like a perfect way to live in the present and get tantric all at the same time.

But they aren’t making this trek alone.


The Peckers series is really fun. I’ve been missing them and it felt like a long wait for the next installment. The Peckers are shifter fun so you shouldn’t expect a lot of world building or paranormal politics. The novellas are character driven and stick to the relationship of the two MC’s. Let all the serious go and just enjoy the bird puns, the horniness and the HEA.

Atty was introduced previously and I was hoping the authors would give us his story. He gets sprung from his puffin breeding program prison and Irwin and Mickey are there as part of the Undercover Peckers team to help get Atty started out in his new life of freedom. Atty can’t help but appreciate a bit of the irony when he spots his mate surfing as he’s regained his freedom and almost as quickly lost it to his mate. Which, of course, he’s totally fine with because Scott is a hot surfer and the whole horny mate thing.

Scott was an absolutely adorable and charming character. He suffers from anterograde amnesia since a car accident and has trouble remembering pretty much most everything new if he isn’t exposed to it repeatedly. Think 50 First Dates Lite. It could have been rather tragic, but Scott is such a positive, happy character with an attitude to be admired so the story steered clear of the maudlin and focused on the confidence Scott carried with him.

He did have a sense of loneliness about him that led to some of the sweetest moments. Because of Scott’s memory problems, he couldn’t fully process the whole “my BF is a shifter” thing. His brain wasn’t wired to be able to hang on to the information and go through the stages that humans seem to need to go through in the shifter tales to get to acceptance. Having no ability to create new memories kind of takes the wind out of those sails, so it added and interesting twist to the shifter dynamic. Atty was all about taking care of Scott and Scott was in awe of Atty’s attention. It as pretty freakin’ cute all the way around.

The lack of shifter world building aided this story well in that Atty’s decision for his future worked. You have to read it to see how the HEA happens for them, but I like that the door is left open to revisit the characters if the authors decided to treat us readers to more Scott and Atty. I certainly wouldn’t complain. The story is complete though and there is the introduction of a couple new character for future tales. I really need to find out what happens to Billy and Chuck. Billy needs his happy and an MC chicken named Chuck has gold written all over him.





**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**


Giveaway + Blog Tour: Trick Roller (Seven of Spades, #2) by Cordelia Kingsbridge


Cordelia Kingsbridge & Riptide Publishing are here today promoting Trick Roller, the second in the Seven of Spades series. See our 5 ❤️ review here. Be sure to leave your info to be entered to win a $15 Riptide credit below. Good luck!


Thanks for checking out the blog tour for Trick Roller, the second book in the Seven of Spades series!

We rejoin Levi and Dominic three months after the events of Kill Game. Although most of Las Vegas believes the Seven of Spades is dead, our two heroes know better. It’s only a matter of time until the killer resurfaces…

About Trick Roller


It’s the height of summer in Las Vegas. Everyone believes the serial killer Seven of Spades is dead—except Levi Abrams and Dominic Russo—and it’s back to business as usual. For Levi, that means investigating a suspicious overdose at the Mirage that looks like the work of a high-class call girl, while Dominic pursues a tough internship with a local private investigator. The one bright spot for both of them is their blossoming relationship.

But things aren’t so simple. Soon Levi is sucked into a dangerous web of secrets and lies, even as his obsession with the Seven of Spades intensifies. Dominic knows that Levi isn’t crazy. He knows the Seven of Spades is still out there, and he’ll do anything to prove it. But Dominic has his own demons to battle, and he may be fighting a losing war.

One thing is certain: the Seven of Spades holds all the cards. It won’t be long before they show their hand.


About the Seven of Spades Series


Las Vegas has never seen a serial killer like the Seven of Spades.

The self-styled vigilante is on a mission to cut down the wicked and treacherous, and Sin City has no shortage of targets for their bloody wrath. What happens in Vegas . . . ends with the Seven of Spades’s calling card on a grisly corpse.

Standing against the killer are Levi Abrams, a dedicated homicide detective locked in a constant struggle to restrain his own dark side, and bounty hunter Dominic Russo, a charming rogue with a heavy secret weighing on his shoulders.

The hunt for the Seven of Spades sends Levi and Dominic on a collision course, igniting a passionate relationship forged in conflict and sealed with blood. Together they’re stronger than the sum of their parts, but a wily, elusive serial killer isn’t the only threat that will strain their bond to the breaking point.

Ante up, because the Seven of Spades is all in. Are you?


About Cordelia Kingsbridge

Cordelia Kingsbridge has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh, but quickly discovered that direct practice in the field was not for her. Having written novels as a hobby throughout graduate school, she decided to turn her focus to writing as a full-time career. Now she explores her fascination with human behavior, motivation, and psychopathology through fiction. Her weaknesses include opposites-attract pairings and snarky banter.

Away from her desk, Cordelia is a fitness fanatic, and can be found strength training, cycling, and practicing Krav Maga. She lives in South Florida but spends most of her time indoors with the air conditioning on full blast!

Connect with Cordelia:
     Email:  cordeliakingsbridge@gmail.com
     Tumblr: http://ckingsbridge.tumblr.com
     Twitter:  @c_kingsbridge




To celebrate the release of Trick Roller, one lucky winner will receive a $15 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on February 3, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Guest Review: Our Own Story by Lynn Michaels

Help can sometimes come where you least expect it. A gentle nudge from the mysterious beyond may be all one needs for a happily ever after.

When Tad Conway’s ex-boyfriend, Bobby, returns after a long absence, he realizes that there are certain things in the universe he can’t explain. Like spending the night in Bobby’s arms only to learn that he’d died months before and is most likely haunting him. Oh, and that Bobby may be pushing Tad into the arms of another man.

Drew Sinclair has had a major crush on marketing guru, Tad Conway, for the longest time. After Drew’s hired as an intern in Tad’s company, he gets his chance to show his stuff—in and out of the bedroom. As Tad and Drew get to know each other better and maybe developing feelings for each other, will Tad be able to let go of his past and move on to a future with Drew?


Reviewer: NeRdyWYRM

Heartwrenching and Heartwarming

It has to be hard to pull off a good balance of emotion with an MC grieving both a lost opportunity and a lost love. There are so many opinions on death and grieving and what people are supposed to do [eyeroll] that it has to be hard to walk a line there that won't get you virtually stoned ... and not in the potentially fun 'high' kind of way.

The author managed to accomplish that here. I also liked the paranormal twist to this title. For some reason, it seems like I've had a lot of ghost-haunted MCs lately. It's usually not my cup of tea because it often comes off as kind of hokey. But all the books I've read lately with that little trope-gem have actually been pretty successful, including this one.

falcor success

This story was well-written. The character development was excellent, the romance was believable, and the relationship made sense. The angst hovered around a medium to high level but was ultimately necessary to the plot, if a little aggravating. Tad's vacillation bothered me so I jettisoned a half a heart for his sometimes OTT contribution to the angst.

Still, I loved both of the characters, well, all three of the characters. I was especially pleased with Drew although the hero worship he had going on there for a while was a little off-putting. I got it, but it made his character feel younger than he really was maturity-wise. His character was too down-to-earth in the grand scheme of things to support the wide-eyed ingenue routine for long. And Bobby ... well, you'll have to read it. Bobby really explains himself, and I don't want to spoil it.

I will say that Bobby as the sort of third wheel added a lot to the story and I absolutely loved it when his angry side started showing due to his former lover's stubbornness. I think the author could have played with that a little more, but I was pleased with the resolution.

There really wasn't much, if anything, not to like. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a mostly feel-good contemporary romance with a slightly unbelievable (but still successful) paranormal twist.



More reviews by NeRdyWYRM can be found on Goodreads here.
Images (when present) may be subject to copyright.
An ARC copy of this title was provided for an honest review.





Release Blitz + Giveaway: The Short Stories Collection by Louise Lyons


Celebrate The Short Stories Collection release with Louise Lyons and Signal Boost Promotions! Learn more about the three story bundle today and comment on today's post for a chance to win a paperback copy of The Eye of the Beholder, a fantasy/vampire novel! Open internationally--good luck!






Length: 45,000 words approx.

Blurb

A collection of three short stories.


In Darkest Peru


When shy and geeky Rhys White is ditched by his boyfriend of five years, and made redundant from his job in the space of one week, he decides to make some changes. Tired of being boring and hiding being his computer, he throws caution to the winds and buys a plane ticket to Peru.


The adventure in Peru starts out well, but then disaster strikes when the bus he is travelling on is held up by thieves. Rhys loses everything, including his passport, wallet, and phone.


Stranded in Cuzco, not too far from the famous Inca city of Machu Picchu, Rhys tries to find someone to help him. Just when he begins to lose hope, sexy Brazilian, Rafael, comes to his rescue, and his desperation situation takes a turn for the better.


One Snowy Night


After yet another failed date, Keith Brambles' luck turns from bad to worse, as he tries to drive home in heavy snow and crashes his car. With no phone signal, no warm clothes, and the weather worsening, he fears freezing to death overnight.


But help is at hand in the form of a knight in a white van. Mike Talbot stops to help Keith, and takes him home to warm up—in more ways than one, when the pair's mutual attraction kicks in.


Mike is everything Keith has ever dreamed of when he thinks of his ideal man. But can Mike really be Keith's dream come true, or is their night together just another bit of fun?


Lost and Found


When author Philip Johnson loses his much-loved dog, Prince, he buries himself in the fantasy world of his latest novel. But as his heartbreak gradually lessens and he focuses more on the happy times he had with Prince, he realises the hole left in his life needs to be filled with a new puppy.


After responding to an advertisement for a young dog, Philip is surprised to find the owner is none other than Edward Manby, the very good-looking vet who took care of Prince in his last hours. Philip is delighted to discover his attraction to Edward is returned and despite the twenty-year age gap between them, their love for their pets brings them together and leads to romance.






Louise Lyons comes from a family of writers. Her mother has a number of poems published in poetry anthologies, her aunt wrote poems for the church, and her grandmother sparked her inspiration with tales of fantasy.


Louise first ventured into writing short stories at the grand old age of eight, mostly about little girls and ponies. She branched into romance in her teens, and MM romance a few years later, but none of her work saw the light of day until she discovered FanFiction in her late twenties. Posting stories based on some of her favourite movies, provoked a surprisingly positive response from readers. This gave Louise the confidence to submit some of her work to publishers, and made her take her writing "hobby" more seriously.


Louise lives in the UK, about an hour north of London, with a mad dog called Casper, and a collection of tropical fish and tarantulas. She works in the insurance industry by day, and spends every spare minute writing. She is a keen horse-rider, and loves to run long-distance. Some of her best writing inspiration comes to her, when her feet are pounding the open road. She often races home afterward, and grabs pen and paper to make notes.


Louise has always been a bit of a tomboy, and one of her other great loves is cars and motorcycles. Her car and bike are her pride and job, and she loves to exhibit the car at shows, and take off for long days out on the bike, with no one for company but herself.


Facebook: www.facebook.com/louiselyonsauthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/louiselyons013

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/louiselyons013

Instagram: www.instagram.com/louiselyons013

Blog: www.louiselyonsauthor.com

Email: louiselyons013@gmail.com


Giveaway: Louise is giving away a signed paperback copy of her 2015 fantasy/vampire romance novel, The Eye of the Beholder, which is no longer available for sale. Please comment on any of the Release Blitz posts to enter. Available for worldwide shipping.



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Tag Team Review: The Christmas Fling (Christmas Town #1) by Heidi Cullinan

Sometimes it takes a village to fall in love.

Eccentric, reclusive, socially awkward project designer Evan Myles doesn’t date. Paying for sex with professionals is so much more efficient and suits his needs well enough. But when he’s on assignment in rural Logan, Minnesota, for the Christmas Town project and a handsome stranger at the bar catches his attention, Evan decides it’s time to break his rule. It doesn’t matter that he’s never so much as flirted before. It can’t be that hard, can it?

Davidson Incorporated lead architect Terry Reid hasn’t been hit on so clumsily in his life. Terry’s the first to admit he’s a neurotic Prince Charming, and he’s kissed his share of male and female frogs, but he’s never met anyone quite like Evan Myles. Evan calls Terry by the wrong name, mistakes Terry for a simple construction worker, and picks apart his work as an architect. Despite this rough start, Terry is lured by the brilliance of Evan’s ideas, his quirky personality, and once they’re alone in Evan’s cabin, the man’s mad skills in bed. Yet Terry knows it takes more than a single night of passion to make a relationship work, and after so many failures, he’s just not ready to try again.

Evan and Terry’s path is strewn with stones neither of them can dislodge. Fortunately, they’re not alone on the road to romance. They’re in Christmas Town, home to matchmakers, meddlers, and more “fairy godfathers” than they could possibly know what to do with.

Most importantly, in Logan, Minnesota, happy ever after is guaranteed.

Adam - 2 Hearts

‘The Christmas Fling’ is a spinoff from Cullinan’s Minnesota Christmas series. The previous series provides context for the ‘Christmas Town’ plot, and existing characters do appear in secondary roles, but I think this book could work fine as a standalone.

The premise of this book requires a bit of a suspension of disbelief. The entire story rests on Evan’s inability to recognize Terry as Kevin. Granted, “Kevin” had a full beard and was skinnier when a drunken Evan met him on a dark night, but it’s a bit of a stretch. The explanation is that Evan’s just not that great with faces.

But I didn’t mind the somewhat flimsy premise. It was a different twist on the one-night stand trope, and I was just excited to get back to the land of never-ending Christmas and gay men galore - Logan, Minnesota.

description

Plus, that one-night stand definitely brought the heat. Terry - or “Kevin” - gets off on humiliation and submission, though he doesn’t play often. Evan, with his slightly awkward but very upfront manner, makes Terry feel safe enough to indulge in a night of kinky passion.

But Terry struggles with accepting his kink, and with social anxiety, so he runs in the middle of the night. When Terry meets Evan again a few weeks later, it’s as a well-groomed architect, not as the scruffy construction worker Evan had assumed he was.

Their first meeting doesn’t go well. Evan has no clue who Terry is, and Terry’s a bit hurt by that, even if he’d been dreading meeting Evan again. But even so, Terry decides to not let Evan in on the truth about “Kevin”.

I could understand where Terry was coming from at first. Anxiety disorders can force people into poor decisions. Also, it was clear that Terry really did care for Evan, regardless of how he handled the situation.

Evan is easier to understand and connect to. His pining for Kevin was sweet, as was his slow realization that he really liked Terry, once Terry wasn’t so stand-offish.

Both men have their hang-ups and struggle with social cues, but they click well together. I thought the slow build-up of their relationship was sweet - from strangers, to coworkers, to tentative friends, and then more.

What I really didn’t enjoy was how the whole issue of Kevin/Terry just dragged on and on. Though I could empathize with Terry’s inability to tell Evan that he was Kevin, the whole thing just went on way too long for me to be comfortable with it.

The constant repetitiveness of Terry’s inner monologues, and his actions in order to hide his identity, just got tiresome, and detracted from what was otherwise a cute romance.

Though I was glad to see the two get their happy ending, I was no longer invested in their story by that point.


Ann - 2.5 Hearts

I love Logan, MN and its inhabitants with all my Christmas heart so I was very excited to get my hands on The Christmas Fling. I’ve missed this author’s prose and have always fallen into her stories easily and have a hard time putting them down.

The Christmas Fling begins with a sorta kinda mistaken identity premise which leads to some incredibly filthy and delicious play between Evan and Terry (who wasn’t Terry at the time to Evan) and the premise was set. But, then it kind of was derailed. I had some fundamental issues that I had a hard time reconciling in the end.

Both MC’s are very complex characters and I appreciate the author taking on both of these guys and making them mesh. That was no small feat, I can tell you that. I had too many problems with the dynamics between the MC’s and their friends to let them go and it did affect my attitude while I was reading.

Evan does not recognize Terry after their one night and while Terry felt the connection, he is also afraid to connect. So, they work together and pretty much everyone knows but Evan and Terry is so tightly wound about the whole thing he can’t function or bring himself to come clean to Evan. This deception by omission went on way too long. And while it wasn’t meant to be, it felt cruel to do that to Evan as it’s not like he didn’t recognize Terry because he’s such a player, he literally can’t and the whole thing felt incredibly unfair.

Terry has his own mental health struggles and I couldn’t help but feel for him as well. He obviously needed help and was in no way able to get to that at the time, but his “handlers” weren’t nearly as helpful as I expected them to be. I’m giving you the side eye right now Levi. You allegedly have experience with what Terry struggles with and you never really talk to him about it??? WTF??? The only suggestion Levi had was to talk to his therapist bro (which was always hidden under the guise of dating him) or he gave Terry crap for being a fuck up with his personal life. It was all in jest and if he was a casual friend, I wouldn’t be able to blame him, but, sorry this is slightly spoilerish, but not really, it turns out he has personal experience and I just thought back to their previous interactions and got pissed. Dude, Levi, my friend, you did not do well by Terry.

I wanted Evan and Terry to get together and I so enjoyed reading the time they spent together as they “got to know” one another. Unfortunately, the whole misunderstanding hung over them and that was a bummer. It was a good thing these two were also brilliant at their careers with ideal dream jobs and handlers who took care of regular everyday life for them. Good for them, but very much a fairy tale for most, especially those struggling with mental health or social issues. Most people don’t have the luxury to make themselves a bed nest and not go out for days or just disappear when things get to be too much. Most people don’t have that kind of financial security. Those aren’t options and the fact that two characters had those safety nets kind of cheapened the reality of those struggles.

I absolutely loved being back in Logan and I will most definitely be reading the next in the series. I hope to get more of Evan and Terry together because the ending was wonderful if a little abrupt considering everything that built to that moment, but damn it was sweet and I would really like to revisit these guys once they settle into themselves and one another.





**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Sweethearts by Gemma Gilmore


Gemma Gilmore and IndiGo Marketing celebrates the release of YA friends to lovers romance, Sweethearts! Check out today's book info and enter in the giveaway to win a NineStar Press eBook!



Title:  Sweethearts
Author: Gemma Gilmore
Publisher:  NineStar Press
Release Date: January 29, 2018
Heat Level: 2 - Fade to Black Sex
Pairing: Female/Female
Length: 62600
Genre: Contemporary, LGBT, YA, high school, friends to lovers, alcohol use, visual arts, coming out, teen pregnancy, coming of age, slow burn

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

When seventeen-year-old Ingrid Harper realizes she may not have the talent to pursue a scholarship for the most prestigious art school in Australia, she turns to pink hair dye as a distraction.

Her new hair captures the attention of a fellow art student, Kat, who introduces Ingrid to the LGBT clubbing scene, and although Ingrid enjoys partying with her new friend, she becomes caught up in confusion about her sexuality. Her fear is overwhelming—she can’t think about anything else.

Until her best friend, Summer, reveals that she is pregnant.

As her best friend faces the realities of being pregnant at seventeen, Ingrid is shown the true definition of courage. It motivates her to come out about her sexuality—she likes girls. Only girls. Now she just has to work out what that means for the other areas of her life.

Excerpt

Sweethearts
Gemma Gilmore © 2018
All Rights Reserved

Chapter One
I am desperately trying not to attract attention.

My arms are folded across my chest. My chin is tucked into my neck. I am leaning against the brick wall as I watch her sing. It takes every ounce of strength I have to keep my face still, hiding any expression that bubbles to the surface. Any reaction I have to her lilting voice is shoved down, adding to the pit in my stomach.

The younger students are sitting respectfully in their seats. They are still too naive to question the teachers when they are told they must be present. I know better than to think that this school performance is anything special to Amber Freeman. She’s been singing since before she could walk, and although I am always the first viewer, her YouTube videos are gaining more and more popularity with every upload. This is just practice to her. A warm-up.

The spotlights are trained on her, and she throws her hands up whilst the climax of the song cascades from her talented lips. I let my eyes flicker shut and Amber’s voice surrounds me, caressing my ears as she sings deeply. Her voice is crashing through me, tingling across the skin on my arms and seeping through my body, calming me.

My head has fallen back against the wall, and I remain frozen there as I listen to her sing. In this moment, nothing else matters. With my eyes closed, she’s right next to me. Singing softly, untying the knot that’s sunken deep into that pit in the bottom of my stomach.

“Ingrid? What the hell are you doing?” The voice that hisses right next to my ear jerks me out of my daydream.

I jump with shock and wrench my eyes open, tearing myself away from the peaceful moment. In front of me, my best friend Summer stands, her arms folded across her chest and her eyes wide in that you are busted expression.

“Jesus,” I mutter. “I thought you had better things to do than sneak up on people. Way to give me a heart attack.”

“I thought you had better things to do than stand here creepily at the back of the gym listening to Amber sing,” Summer challenges me, an amused smile dancing across her full lips.

“You snuck up on me and you’re calling me the creep?” I snort. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

The quicker I can get Summer outside of this gym, the quicker I can shove away the fact that she caught me watching Amber’s performance. We duck behind the last row of seating and out of the door in the corner of the room, swiftly ignoring the Emergency Exit Only sign. We’ve done this so many times now that it’s like second nature.

Outside, the rain lashes against the building. The wind howls so loudly that I’m surprised no one noticed our little escape from the gymnasium—then again, they never do. For Summer, there’s more to life than just sitting in a desk at school. Any chance my best friend has to escape the mundane restrictions of life is an opportunity she must take. She’s never been the kind of girl to follow the traditional paths.

Then again, neither have I.

My thoughts still spin as we duck through the car park and head out to the tin shed at the back of the school. Summer knew exactly where to find me during Amber’s performance. She knows that I watch Amber. While everyone else in our grade snuck off to make out in abandoned classrooms or smoke cigarettes behind the main building, I followed the crowd into the gymnasium with one intention.

Why did I need to watch her?

“I had a headache and the gym was dark.” I shrug off Summer’s curious stare as we take shelter under the tin roof. The rain really lashes down now, bouncing off the pavement and whipping through the trees. “It was better than watching you make out with Jackson for an hour straight.”

My snide comment is low but, right now, I’ll do anything to take the attention away from me.

“You had a headache, so you decided to listen to Amber sing?” Summer rolls her eyes at me. “Makes sense.”

She fidgets with her oversized tartan scarf, staring out into the rain. Maybe I’m not the only one who is trying to avoid things today.

“You were in there too,” I argue half-heartedly. “What’s your obsession with her?”

This time, Summer does turn to me. “I’m obsessed?” She snorts. “Ingrid, honey, if I’m obsessed, then you’re deranged.”

“Then I’m deranged.”

Summer rolls her eyes, signalling the end of that particular conversation. “Whatever. Your deeply disturbing issues are the least of my problems right now. Look, Ingrid, I think I’m going to have to take a test.”

Red splotches gleam against Summer’s pale cheeks, and I watch her carefully. She tugs on that scarf like it’s strangling her.

“Like an STD test?”

“Are you stupid?” I know her voice is harsher than intended, and I brush it off with a blunt laugh. “A pregnancy test.”

“Oh, for god’s sake, here we go again. You and Jackson really need to invest in some efficient birth control because this I’m pregnant freak-out that you have every month is getting boring.”

“Trust me, I know.” Her tone is suddenly tense, and she blinks back emotion. “But right now, I’m pretty sure I have the devil’s spawn growing inside of me, so I’m allowed to freak out. I’m two weeks late.”

I raise my eyebrows. She’s never been this late before. “Jackson is not the devil’s spawn. You know he loves you. But I highly doubt you’re pregnant. It’s all the stress from thinking you’re pregnant every month starting to get to you.”

“Yeah, okay, whatever.” She says, throwing her hands up in defeat. “I knew I shouldn’t have said anything. I don’t know what you’re moping about—we got a free class and you got to watch Amber singing. It’s a damn good day for Ingrid Harper right now.”

“Listen, I really did just have a headache. I don’t care about Amber’s singing. And you and Jackson were quite obviously distracted. You didn’t seem to have pregnancy on your mind during that public make-out session. Or maybe you did. Either way, I think it’s a damn good day for both of us, don’t you think?”

I know what Summer is doing. She is the ultimate denier of reality. More than that, she is aware that I will follow along with every topic change she throws at me. I get distracted easily, apparently.

Summer laughs, but the smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Distraction is inevitable right now, for both of us. These are not issues we should be faced with at seventeen years old. Summer’s mother is getting married soon, so that’s just one more thing to top off what I’m coining Summer’s Distressing Summer.

We stand silently as the rain pours over the sides of the flimsy tin roof. Muddy water pools right to the edges of the door. It’s mid-December. While politicians are throwing around the term climate change like it’s currency, I stare at the pools of water near this emergency exit, wondering if our town has sufficient flood safety plans.

“Come over tonight,” she murmurs. “Please, Ingrid.”

“You’re buying me McDonald’s.” I sigh in return. The truth is, I have my own things to worry about, whether Summer is pregnant or not. She’s been with Jackson for three years—that’s three years they have successfully been together and prevented pregnancy. It’s not a possibility. It just isn’t.

Summer is wild, just like her name. Her light-brown hair is constantly tangled, but her dominating blue eyes seem to distract everyone.

But today, she stares out at the grey sky and nervously chews at her lip, clutching that damn scarf so tightly that I know she’s already certain about this pregnancy. More so than I’ve ever seen before. Her blue eyes don’t seem so bright today.

“I heard Jackson was thinking about transferring to the art school. I didn’t think that boy had an artistic bone in his body.” I smirk, desperately trying to relax Summer. I don’t know what to say when she’s so shut off like this. My lie is smooth, slipping off my lips easily.

“Yeah, he does comics. I don’t know, I guess they’re funny.”

“It’s our last year of high school. Surely he’s left it a bit late?” I frown in earnest now.

What Summer doesn’t know is that I’ve known Jackson a lot longer than she has. I know that he’s been wanting to do art since he started high school, but his military-driven father would never allow it—he’s all about physical education, mathematics, and science. He used to drill that into Jackson every time I was around; none of this fairy fluff nonsense, he would say pointedly.

“Look, Ingrid, I don’t really want to talk about Jackson right now,” Summer snaps, finally releasing the titan grip on her checked scarf and running a frustrated hand through her frizzy hair.

“Do you even want me to stay tonight then?” I throw back. “I can’t deal with you when you’re being like this. Either let me in or let me go. I’ve got shit to do.”

To my complete surprise, Summer snorts as she turns to face me. “Just shut up and come and sleep over at my house. I need your brutal honesty, but I also need you to do literally everything I say right now. You know I’d do the same for you.”

I don’t bother telling her that to be in her position, I’d actually have to get closer than two feet to a guy, but I think she already knows that.

“Look, I don’t like that you called Jackson the devil before. I don’t care if he’s annoying sometimes, if you are…pregnant…it’s definitely not the devil’s spawn that could be growing inside of you. And that’s all I’m going to say about that,” I huff.

“Okay, I didn’t know you were Jackson’s number-one cheerleader, but whatever.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

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Meet the Author

Gemma Gilmore is graduated from university with a degree in Journalism and a passion for writing and travelling. In 2016 she was awarded a highly competitive residency with the Tasmanian Writers Centre. When she’s not writing YA fiction, she’s spontaneously booking trips across the world so she can draw inspiration from new cultures and places.

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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Ibuki by Kathryn Sommerlot


Ibuki by Kathryn Sommerlot is out! Celebrate with the author and IndiGo Marketing today! There's an excerpt of the fantasy novella! And a NineStar Press eBook giveaway! Good luck!


Title:  Ibuki
Author: Kathryn Sommerlot
Publisher:  NineStar Press
Release Date: January 29, 2018
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Female/Female
Length: 26000
Genre: Fantasy, LGBT, lesbian, fantasy, cleric/priestess, magic users, abduction, royalty

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Synopsis

Ibuki: the gift of healing through breath. Chiasa has possessed the ability since childhood and shares it with her father as they care for their Inuru community. Chiasa has never doubted the stability of her simple life. That is, until Namika, a water-gifted priestess, shows up outside the Ibuki shrine gates with information promising Chiasa’s doom.

With Namika’s help, Chiasa is determined to find the secrets behind the ritual that will claim her life, but her growing feelings toward the other woman reach beyond her control, adding to the confusion. Time is rapidly running out, and Chiasa can’t seem to sort out the lies woven through the magic of Inuru and its emperor.

Caught in a tangled web of immortality, betrayal, and desire, Chiasa must find the right people to trust if she hopes to stop the ritual—or she will pay the consequences.

Excerpt

Ibuki
Kathryn Sommerlot © 2018
All Rights Reserved

When Chiasa first saw the young woman standing outside the shrine, her throat seized in fear around a single thought: the emperor is dead. A moment later, she realized the woman appeared far more nervous than grief-stricken, and she relaxed, only to wonder why a seseragi priestess would be on her doorstep before the sun had fully risen.

The woman was unmistakably one of the water-chosen. Her hands were fidgeting and pressing tiny creases into the telltale blue of her silk robe, its pale folds hanging uneven above her shell-lined sandals, and above the short collar, a silver clip in the shape of an ocean wave held her hair in two overlapping plaits. She glanced down either side of the empty road, shoulders bowed, before starting up the stairs.

Chiasa hung back to observe.

It took the woman a minute or so to climb the steps that led to the small fountain, and with the shrine deserted, her footsteps echoed through the grounds. Her hair seemed to have been hastily done as an afterthought—long strands had come free and hung down her back like splatters of black ink across parchment.

She did manage a jerky half bow when she reached the slotted board holding the wooden ladle, though most of the water she then tried to pour over her hands ended up splashing onto the front of the blue silk, a testament to the shaking in her arms. Chiasa let her continue without interruption until she reached the top of the stairs and clapped her hands together before the silver bell. Any farther, and the seseragi priestess would make her way inside the sanctuary, to where the ibuki power-stone was held, and the thought was unsettling enough to push Chiasa forward.

“If I can help you with something,” Chiasa began, slipping out from her hiding spot between the side of the sanctuary and the hall of worship where she spent many hours praying in solitude.

The young woman started, nearly tripping on the hem of her robe. One hand went to her mouth as she stared far longer than was comfortable, and then she bowed again, the force of the action throwing the loose tendrils of hair over her head.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t send word, and…well, I know it’s strange for me to be here, but I must speak with an ibuki priest, please.”

Chiasa took a step back, one corner of the hall’s intersecting wall panels jabbing between her shoulders.

“My father is the head priest, but he’s not here. He’s out with the herbalist to tend the sick. If you wish, I can leave him a message for when he returns—”

“It’s urgent,” the other woman whispered. “Please.”

At a loss, Chiasa looked around the shrine grounds she knew by heart. There was no one else to summon. Her father wouldn’t be back until much later, perhaps even after midnight, and old Isao was seldom of much use anymore, relegated to menial groundskeeping tasks and selling talismans. As the morning breeze broke through the tree line and nipped at the exposed skin of her cheek, she felt acutely alone.

Chiasa tried to imagine what her father might do were he present as the young woman, still bent in an awkward bow, began to shake with the exertion of it. Chiasa, afraid she would topple over entirely, sprang forward and dropped the broom she was holding, the tool clattering noisily across the pathway.

“He’s not here,” Chiasa repeated, though she wanted to help the woman when she was in such a state. “But please don’t panic, I will not send you away. If you’d like, I could make you some tea?”

“Yes,” the woman said. Her hands went to her face, cupping cheeks that were tinged with an uneven smattering of powder. As Chiasa watched, her gaze seemed to get lost in nothing, until she finally blinked and focused once again, settling on Chiasa’s face. Again, there was something sparking in her eyes that Chiasa couldn’t entirely read. The woman lowered her hands and nodded. “Yes, I would appreciate it. I’m sorry to intrude.”

Chiasa thought briefly of disagreeing, but it felt best to avoid lying. Instead, she led the seseragi priestess into the hall of worship and through to the small back room where they kept a low, small table and supplies unrelated to the shrine itself. There was a heavy iron kettle, which was so old that one side of it was slightly lower than the other, making the whole thing lopsided. Chiasa placed it onto the small fire in the center of the room with care and waved the smoke up into the open flume built into the roof’s small, soot-blackened bricks. Her strange guest knelt at the table, smoothing her silks beneath her knees.

“I don’t know when my father will return,” Chiasa apologized as she waited for the water to bubble. The other woman deflated somewhat, her shoulders curving in and over on themselves as she ran a finger over the grain of the table.

“Is there no one else?” she asked. Then, a half second too late, her eyes snapped up, wide and frightened. “I didn’t mean… I meant no offense. I’m sure you are quite capable at the breath—”

Chiasa waved her apology away. “I’m not offended. But I am afraid there is no one else. It’s only my father, myself, and old Isao.”

“Then, your father is part of the emperor’s circle?” the woman asked. The expression on her features changed from nervous to suspicious, and Chiasa couldn’t follow the reasoning behind it. Her guest tapped her fingers against the tabletop as she pursed her lips together, and her gaze shifted away from Chiasa and the teakettle. “Perhaps it was unwise to come here. I thought there were more in the ibuki shrine.”

The kettle whistled its completion, and as she poured the fragrant hibiscus blend, Chiasa frowned, puzzled by the transformation in both the conversation and the woman’s demeanor.

“My father is not advising the emperor today,” she said, again, in case it had been missed, as she handed the other woman the small teacup of hollowed bone. Her guest held the cup between her fingers, but didn’t sip from it. Her gaze seemed lost again, her eyes focused on something far beyond the table and the crackling fire pit, in a place Chiasa could neither see nor touch.

After quite some time, the woman raised her head once more. “My name is Namika. I suppose with your father too close to the source I should not have asked for him at all. You are the youngest within the shrine?”

“Yes,” Chiasa answered, though she regretted doing so in the next heartbeat when the oddness of the question fully registered.

Namika’s brow furrowed as her fingers knit together around the bone cup. “Then I must tell you of my discovery.”

“Discovery?” Chiasa repeated.

“I’m afraid it’s not good news,” Namika said and grimaced. “I was tasked with sorting through our cellar, where many of the old texts and records are kept. The majority of them are simply logs of visitors to the shrine and the actions our priests performed at the emperor’s command. But within the piles, I discovered what seemed to be a set of entries detailing the truth behind the emperor’s longevity.”

“The gods have seen fit to bless him with immortality,” Chiasa said, but she felt suddenly very cold, crossing her arms over her chest and running her hands over her sleeves. The small room seemed to constrict even further around them, squeezing the air from Chiasa’s lungs until she was gasping for it. They should not even be discussing the emperor. They were far too young and unimportant to think they had more wisdom than a man who had been ruling Inuru for nearly three hundred years, and despite their solitude within the shrine, Chiasa got the distinct feeling someone, somewhere, could hear them. The sensation sent toe-curling shivers down her back.

“No,” Namika said. She leaned forward, like she, too, was reacting to the sudden chill permeating the air. “It’s unnatural, his lifespan— He is stealing it, all of it; he is stealing his life.”

“That’s impossible,” Chiasa snapped. “No magic could grant a mortal so much time.”

Namika shook her head and set the cup of tea down, still just as full as when Chiasa had handed it to her. “He is stealing it through blood. He’s drinking blood to absorb the life within it and add it to his own.”

Chiasa stood so suddenly that the table shook, splashing tea across the surface. The scent of steeped flowers and herbs grew even stronger.

“You’re lying,” she said through clenched teeth, hands curled into fists at her side. The flash of indignation that flared up beneath her skin came from a source she couldn’t identify, but she knew from years of practiced obedience that it was necessary. “My father is on the emperor’s circle, and he would never allow such a thing, even if it were possible.”

“But that is why I had to come!” Namika exclaimed. “It’s written in the documents, by the seseragi high priest himself. I swear to you I did not come here with a lie!”

Chiasa wove her hands through her hair, tugging bits of it free from the tortoiseshell clasp holding the twist snug at the nape of her neck. Her father couldn’t possibly be implicated in such a monstrosity—and beyond that, the insult to the emperor weighed like a stone within her gut. The emperor protected them all. The emperor loved them all.

“It’s impossible,” Chiasa said, letting her hands fall back down to her sides. “What blood could possibly grant such—”

“Those with the breath!” Namika cried out and then sat back on her heels, cheeks flushed and pink. As Chiasa stared at her across the table, the unwanted and uninvited woman with the poison-tipped tongue of lies inhaled deeply and then pushed the air back out, slowly, through red lips.

“He is drinking your order,” she said. Her voice was far quieter, filled with something that sounded an awful lot like sympathy. “He is drinking the blood of ibuki priests.”

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Meet the Author

Kathryn Sommerlot is a coffee addict and craft beer enthusiast with a detailed zombie apocalypse plan. Originally from the cornfields of the American Midwest, she got her master’s degree and moved across the ocean to become a high school teacher in Japan. When she isn’t wrangling teenage brains into critical thinking, she spends her time writing, crocheting, and hiking with her husband. She enjoys LGBTQ fiction, but she is particularly interested in genre fiction that just happens to have LGBTQ protagonists. You can find Kathryn on her Website.


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